Colgate 2017-18

With a game this Saturday against Niagara Sept 30, I believe this is our earliest start ever. We lost three of our top five scorers from last year from a very anemic offense. The make or break factor for this years team will be it's ability to put some pucks in the goal.
I'm not sure where the scoring will come from with seventeen freshman and sophomores on a very young team. Sophomores McMann 5-14-19, Cockrell 6-11-17, and Snodgrass 3-12-15 return as our leading scorers.

Defensively with nine on the roster it looks like it might be our strength especially with highly touted and drafted Colton Point in net. Freshman defensemen Trevor Cosgrove 6'-190# and Nick Quillan 6'-190# are supposed to be very good offensively and will provide some spark on the blueline. Our PP numbers should be improved this year.

Re: Colgate 2017-18

Good start, Shabby. Thanks!! I hope to see a lot of you at the game (4:00) this Saturday. As you may know, there will be pre-game festivities (tailgating) in the parking lot before the game (not sure of the start time....1:00?) featuring food trucks, music, etc. The team will do a meet and greet after the game.
Many of the players I have spoken with feel that they will surprise a lot of teams this year. Always hopeful! Go 'Gate

Re: Colgate 2017-18

Originally Posted by CU13

Good start, Shabby. Thanks!! I hope to see a lot of you at the game (4:00) this Saturday. As you may know, there will be pre-game festivities (tailgating) in the parking lot before the game (not sure of the start time....1:00?) featuring food trucks, music, etc. The team will do a meet and greet after the game.
Many of the players I have spoken with feel that they will surprise a lot of teams this year. Always hopeful! Go 'Gate

Re: Colgate 2017-18

Checking in. Since FB is at Cornell may not make it to '65 Arena this w/e. Wonder if the game will be televised? Will definitely be in Hamilton for any future FB-Hockey doubleheaders and for league games of course. I'm very high on this year's frosh; think our increase in size/weight of recruits will help to make up for any lack of experience....should be some bangers in there. Anyone know what the results of the media and coach's poll were this pre-season? I can't find it anywhere. Where were we picked to finish?

Re: Colgate 2017-18

Shabby, thanks for starting the new thread. Hope everyone had a good summer! But we were picked to finish LAST (in one poll)? Yes, we have a lot of unknowns but behind Brown in the media poll (regular bottom-feeders), and behind RPI in BOTH polls, which has the biggest question mark of all (a new head coach)? No disrespect for these two fine institutions, but that makes me want to cry.

Now, onto Rainman's season preview: There's no sugarcoating it here, after two tremendous campaigns in 2013-14 and 2014-15 that included an NCAA Tournament appearance and two trips to Lake Placid, each of the two most recent seasons (2015-16 and 2016-17) have been unmitigated disasters. Okay, last season was certainly a rebuilding season, but for the first time since I started following the program in 2005, and for the first time in the Don Vaughan era, we failed to record double-digit wins. Despite having a new rink to play in, we struggled mightily to score goals. We lost 8 players to graduation, including our leading scorer and two stalwarts on the blue line. That said, our strength going into this season is probably our defense and goaltending, with 6 returning defenseman. Colton Point is probably the #1 goalie going forward, and put up decent numbers as a freshman. I expect him to only get better. The biggest concern will be who can put the puck in the net? This looks to be another "goal-scoring by committee" season at the start. If we can get to at least 2.5 goals a game then a .500 winning percentage is likely. If we can score 3 goals a game, maybe bigger and better things will happen.

I said this at the end of last season, and I'll say it again now. If this season has similar results to the previous two, then Don Vaughan's job could be in jeopardy. Now I like Don, and he preaches a "never quit" mentality to the players, but with a new rink, the university has committed to making both the men's and women's hockey programs successful. Three consecutive seasons with 20+ losses is almost certainly a red flag.

As always, I'm hoping to make it to several games. I expect to be in Hamilton on Oct. 7 for the 2nd Merrimack game (as well as the football game vs. Lehigh) and will be making the trip up to Durham, NH on Oct. 13 (Colgate Day!) to see the Raiders play UNH. I'll be checking off another rink visited on my Hockey East list!

Re: Colgate 2017-18

Our poor poll results are the result of we couldn't score last year and we lost three of five leading scorers from last year. I'm sure that's what they all see. Harvard is just loaded again, how about Fogarty turning around Princeton ? It can be done.

Re: Colgate 2017-18

Originally Posted by sshablak

Our poor poll results are the result of we couldn't score last year and we lost three of five leading scorers from last year. I'm sure that's what they all see. Harvard is just loaded again, how about Fogarty turning around Princeton ? It can be done.

Re: Colgate 2017-18

Finally got to see the new rink in person at Reunion this summer. Looks good, better than on screen. I don't love the high wall behind the ice-level student section, but I see the rationale behind it. Now they just need a season worthy of the new digs.

Not surprised to see us picked so low, given what the last few seasons have looked like. Having Vaughan behind the bench is the biggest reason for optimism coming into the season, as he rarely has too many poor seasons in a row. Some good defense returning, including Point in goal, but can we really win a bunch of games 1-0/2-1? Or at least enough to get into the top 8 and earn a home series? What the heck, nothing's happened yet, so why not?

Re: Colgate 2017-18

Originally Posted by ColSkate65

Checking in. Since FB is at Cornell may not make it to '65 Arena this w/e. Wonder if the game will be televised? Will definitely be in Hamilton for any future FB-Hockey doubleheaders and for league games of course. I'm very high on this year's frosh; think our increase in size/weight of recruits will help to make up for any lack of experience....should be some bangers in there. Anyone know what the results of the media and coach's poll were this pre-season? I can't find it anywhere. Where were we picked to finish?

Thx for getting the season underway Shabby.

No regular TV coverage for Saturday. Also note that with Time Warner switch to Spectrum, there's no more Time Warner Sports so therefore no local college sports coverage on Ch 19 (or whatever it is where you live).

All home games still have free video which is now provided through Patriot League TV. The Colgate athletics site should have a link up for the broadcast. On the radio side for Saturday, we'll be joined in progress once the football game at Cornell is over. With football starting at 1:30 PM, I'm guessing we'll be on the air around 4:15 - 4:30. No pre-game on Saturday so the usual pre-game interview with Don Vaughan will run at the first and second intermissions (broken up in two parts). Back to the normal the following weekend for Merrimack though with a couple other 4:00 PM starts during football season we may have this issue again. The Vaughan interview will also be posted on SoundCloud.

Re: Colgate 2017-18

Originally Posted by 'Gate Radio

No regular TV coverage for Saturday. Also note that with Time Warner switch to Spectrum, there's no more Time Warner Sports so therefore no local college sports coverage on Ch 19 (or whatever it is where you live).

All home games still have free video which is now provided through Patriot League TV. The Colgate athletics site should have a link up for the broadcast. On the radio side for Saturday, we'll be joined in progress once the football game at Cornell is over. With football starting at 1:30 PM, I'm guessing we'll be on the air around 4:15 - 4:30. No pre-game on Saturday so the usual pre-game interview with Don Vaughan will run at the first and second intermissions (broken up in two parts). Back to the normal the following weekend for Merrimack though with a couple other 4:00 PM starts during football season we may have this issue again. The Vaughan interview will also be posted on SoundCloud.

Thanks for the info 'Gate Radio. I will be listening to you when there is video coverage by PL Network. Have had no regular TV coverage here anyway.

Re: Colgate 2017-18

Originally Posted by Rainman

Shabby, thanks for starting the new thread. Hope everyone had a good summer! But we were picked to finish LAST (in one poll)? Yes, we have a lot of unknowns but behind Brown in the media poll (regular bottom-feeders), and behind RPI in BOTH polls, which has the biggest question mark of all (a new head coach)? No disrespect for these two fine institutions, but that makes me want to cry.

Perhaps last season's results between specific teams were taken into account?

It didn't seem like any of those decisions were unanimous, though, based on the point totals announced.

Re: Colgate 2017-18

When new, promising talent arrives, the veteran talent leaves. We can't seem to have a season when all are playing on the same ice. My guess is Point may improve but that he will be left out to dry game after game. The demise in our performance leaves me thinking I overestimated the success of our new arena and Vaughan. Here's hoping for anything but a last place finish and a healthy season for the players.

Re: Colgate 2017-18

Originally Posted by TchrBill

When new, promising talent arrives, the veteran talent leaves. We can't seem to have a season when all are playing on the same ice. My guess is Point may improve but that he will be left out to dry game after game. The demise in our performance leaves me thinking I overestimated the success of our new arena and Vaughan. Here's hoping for anything but a last place finish and a healthy season for the players.

The building has been open for one year, literally. Recruiting is done far in advance and much different than in other sports. Give it some time as the opening wasn't going to be an immediate night and day fix. Of the freshmen, Nick Austin from the USHL / Benilde-St Margaret's was the only one to see the inside of the building during his visit.

Re: Colgate 2017-18

3-1 after the 2nd. This is an entertaining and very competitive game - and one of the best opening games I've seen Gate play. They definitely look like they have some talent and seem faster than previous teams. If they mature over some of the first few contests they might just knock off some higher seeded league teams. The frosh are showing some skill and our passing seems better all around. NU was a good school to schedule for our first game IMHO. Not over yet tho....

Re: Colgate 2017-18

5-1 win with an ENG. Nice way to kick off the new season. Frosh Tyler Jeanson getting the first goal may augur good things for this class, with frosh McIvoy roofing a nice one halfway through the 3rd. Point had a good game with some great stops. Looked like some crisp passing by Gate and not too many penalties. All in all a good first effort by the guys. Looking forward to Merrimack and AZ State.

Re: Colgate 2017-18

Didn't get to see/listen to yesterday's game, but it's always nice to start the season 1-0! Last season we coughed up a lead late in our season/home/rink opener to Army and settled for a tie, and I think that's what set the tone for last season's miserable results.